They are back! Our cartoon-esque rat friends (and their arch-enemy, the cat) return in the second installment of the game we love (to hate) the most: Bad Rats!
If you're unfamiliar with this, check out my review of the first game - it's available here: steamcommunity.com/id/agkistrodonbilineatus/recommended/34900/
In short, it's a puzzle/physics game based on arranging different rats (with different functions/skills) in a scenery, so they'll hit a ball and drive it around the obstacles, reaching the objective and triggering a deadly trap for the poor cat.
If the first game wasn't awesome enough, however, this sequel not only makes it justice, but further enhances the whole experience!
Bad Rats Show, as the name implies, happens during a live show. Live band playing, stage dancers and a whole crowd of rats, all prepared to watch the cruel murder of the cat, and how it will unfold. Even if the main objective is the same as before, this brings a whole new atmosphere to the game - an enjoyable (and quite funny, in some aspects) one.
Aside from that, the first (and biggest) difference you'll notice is that the game is now 3D - that's right, there are now THREE dimensions with which the player must deal to bring the ball into the target, making things more difficult (and challenging), but also brings way more possible solutions to defeat the stages!
There are several new tools and rats as well, which further increases the aforementioned possibilities.
On top of that, there is also a custom map editor, and Steam Workshop support. You can be part of the game by creating your own custom maps and challenge your friends, or the entirety of the internet, to beat those in creative and/or unintended ways.
But those are not the only of the game's improvements - the graphics are even better, smoother and more realistic than before, the background music is more fitting (especially considering the whole "live show" atmosphere), the interface is clearer to understand and more user-friendly and overall the game performance is also better - it runs faster, and there are less random crashes, as opposed to the first game, on which there were some (only a few, but they could be quite bothersome). Basically, they not only improved the first game, but they learned with its flaws as well, and fixed them in this sequel.
And, obviously, this review couldn't go without mentioning the humor of the game. It might be a bit too dark for one's tastes (it's not exactly my cup of tea, either), but it's really well-executed, making me giggle even at the smallest details. It makes the game enjoyable not only for the gameplay, but for its humor as well.
And, pretty much like the first game, it has a huge replayability factor. The fact that there is an almost infinite set of possible solutions for each stage, the custom user-made stages, the fun gameplay, and the dark-yet-well-executed humor makes me want to forget my responsibilities and play this more and more, as the days go on.
This is Bad Rats Show! The rats are even badder, and the game is even better.